Making Your Home Safe For Trick or Treaters
Pumpkin carving, pumpkin soup, pumpkin seeds, tiny candies and tiny costumes. And soon, tiny witches, wizards, ghouls and goblins will line up on your front porch and demand you answer one of life’s many existential questions: “trick or treat?”
It’s trick or treat, not trip or treat
Make sure your Halloween decoration don’t become a hazard for trick or treaters.
Okay, so it’s not the most difficult decision -for most- who are we to judge)? But, if you’re planning on treating this year’s herd of Halloweeners, make sure you’re not inadvertently setting them up for the cruelest trick of all: lurking dangers leading up to your front doorstep. To choose between giving treats or getting tricked, you need to make sure the little monsters can get to your front door safely. So, while you’re putting up your Halloween decorations, make sure you’re not accidentally booby-trapping your front porch. It’s “trick or treat”, not “trip or treat.”
Have enough lighting so that kids (and parents) can see where they’re going, then supplement your lighting with decorative Jack-O-Lanterns and candles. You may be tempted to darken your home by turning off some lights. Don’t do this. Not only will you set trick or treaters up for a fall, but you may give the impression that no one is home and then you’ll be stuck at home with a bowl full of candy. Okay, that doesn’t sound so bad, but Halloween candy is meant to be shared, given away, or traded so turn on the lights and let the kids know you are home.
All the natural fall foliage and flora in your garden makes for great Halloween decorations.
Get your sidewalk, walkway, and front porch ready for trick or treaters
Tiny Snickers and Hershey kisses are delicious, but they’re not worth a broken arm or a bruised behind. Take a few minutes after decorating to make sure all obstacles are removed from your sidewalk, walkway and porch before the festivities begin.
- Remove or sweep up any obstacles leading to your door (leaves, branches, dirt, rocks)
- Don’t place Jack-O’-Lanterns on fence posts with live candles
- Sweep the sidewalk in front of your home
- Light a safe path to the door, starting at your front gate
- Place decorations in safe places and make sure they are visible so trick or treaters don’t trip over them
- Opt for battery operated “candles” instead of live candles
Jack-O’-Lanterns are a Halloween classic, but make sure you have extra lighting to light the path for trick or treaters. If you are using live candles, make sure they are not near anything flammable. Photo credit: “Friendly pumpkin” by Anders Lagerås
Halloween should be spooky, but safe….and filled with sugar!
